Feb. 29, 2000

Box Score

Miami, Fla. --- On Friday, Feb. 25 at Mark Light Stadium in Miami, Fla., the Villanova baseball team fell to the defending national champions and current No. 10 ranked Miami Hurricanes by the score of 13-8. With the loss, the Wildcats drop to 0-2 overall on the season. The `Canes improve to 9-5 on the season with the victory.

Miami got on the scoreboard first, scoring two runs in the second inning off Villanova starter Aaron Krawiec. The first of the two Hurricane runs came on a bases loaded walk by Danny Matienzo. The second came as Lale Esquivel scored on a passed ball, and gave the Hurricanes a 2-0 lead.

Miami added to its lead one inning later, when bases loaded walks to Greg Lovelady and Matienzo forced in two more runs. With the bases still loaded and one out, Kris Clute hit a sacrifice fly to score Esquivel and increase to Hurricanes' lead to 5-0.

Villanova would finally get on the scoreboard in the fourth inning. Junior Matt Longo doubled to open the inning and advanced to third on a passed ball. Designated hitter Nick Piantek grounded out to shortstop to score Longo with the Wildcats' first run of the game.

With Villanova down 12-3 heading into the top of the eighth, the `Cats staged a rally against the national champs. `Nova loaded the bases on a Miami error, walk and hit batsman. Mike Houser pinch hit for Brian Hearne and knocked home Graziano on an error by second baseman Kris Clute. Pinch hitting for Chris McGratty, Matt Blaney grounded out to second for an RBI. After two more runs, John Picone was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score Mike Duncan to trim the lead to 12-8. Alex Prended struck out Graziano to end the inning as well as the Wildcats hopes for a further rally. In the ninth, Luke DeBold came on to shut down Villanova, as Miami went on for the 13-8 victory.

The Wildcats will get back into action on Saturday, Feb. 26, as they play Eastern Michigan at the Homestead Sports Complex at 2:30 p.m.